Tangling with an Opera Phantom
by StarryEyedRin
Summary: Ia doesn't know what to expect when she finds out she's been selected to see Alice in Musicland live. With a backstage pass, she meets the performers, and one of them catches her eye instantly; Len. But is Len really all he appears? Or does he hide a dark secret? Mainly Rin x Ia *Yuri Warning*
1. To be an Opera Girl

**Title: **Tangling with an Opera Phantom

**Summary:**Ia doesn't know what to expect when she finds out she's been selected to see Alice in Musicland live. With a backstage pass, she meets the performers, and one of them catches her eye instantly; Len. But is Len really all he appears? Or does he hide a dark secret? Mainly Rin x Ia *Yuri Warning*

_**DISCLAIMER: Vocaloid and Phantom of the Opera belong to it's rightful owners.**_

**Author's Note:**_Yes, this is that Ia x Rin story I was talking about. It's taken me so long to build the perfect plot for this. This is semi inspired by Phantom of the Opera... except it's taken it's toll with my Slash obsession... in other words, this is mainly a Yuri/Shoujo ai story**.** _

_It might not seem at first to be one, but I think you'll find as these chapters unravel, that things get a little more girl x girl. So, be fair warned. Len is not who you think he is, and neither is Mayu... though Mayu might be a little more predictable. _

_Since I have trouble writing normal, happy romances, I throw in a lot of twists. In the end, I suppose it will be more happy, unless my habit for making things depressive and sad takes over my mind. Uh. Yeah. _

_I hope you enjoy anyway... I'm not the best at fluff, since I get bored with the story far too easily, but hopefully the fluffy bits are nice enough to read.  
_

_Cheers to a new story?_

* * *

Chapter 1: To be an Opera Girl

Ia loved to sing.

She loved to dance.

She loved to act.

Three different things, all combining into one; Opera. Three different things, all talents; all things she was good at. If she loved to dance, she loved to sing, if she loved to act; you'd imagine she'd love operas too. Ia was a genius when it came to being an opera girl, but she'd only gotten a chance to work behind the scenes and work with the special effects. Even if Ia did so much want to act, or sing, or dance- instead of being behind the scenes and working with the lights... it was a hopeless cause.

Even if Ia was good at being an opera girl, she could never be an opera girl...

Opera girls were too perfect for her, anyway.

Every opera girl was perfect, in many ways; in many amounts. To be an opera girl, meant she should have the voice of an angel- and though she was a great soprano, she had nothing on Galaco.

Galaco was an angel. A pure, pure angel. Her voice was so beautiful, so dazzling it shook the living daylights out of her, and yet it was so ravishing, that she could never admit to taking her place. Her voice was the beauty of the beholder; she spun tales of love, lust, and luxury through her vocal chords. It made her heart melt like butter... it made her inner opera girl scream for more. It made her so lightheaded, she'd become dizzy and feel faint.

She'd only dream of one day meeting this gorgeous angel. Galaco was very pretty too; rainbow streaks in her hair and all. One side of her hair was light brown, the other, dark. Her hair was always shampooed in the morning, always so clean and fluffy. She longed to have hair as nice as hers. Her orange eyes sparkled in the daylight and glowed at night. She was so gorgeous, she couldn't imagine ever taking her place, not once, not now, never...

But even though she admired Galaco so, she could never meet her, because she'd never be the one who was selected for being an admirer of the opera show, right?

She decided she would make it into the draw anyway... but... it wasn't like she was going to be picked, right?

She had no clue... just how wrong she was.

Her best friend Yukari made her way through the halls one morning, pushing aside people, just to have her eyes on her; she held out her hand, with an invitation. Their eyes met for a single second, and once Yukari was close enough to meet with her, she held out the card in her hands and smiled wide.

Yukari, was a little bit shorter then Ia, with purple hair and purple eyes. She was interested, mainly in sports, though she was also interested in drama. Although she was uniquely gifted at the arts, she was no match for Ia.

The purple haired girl held out her hands wide, and dropped the card into Ia's hands. Ia's eyes widened.

"Y-Yukari?! N-no way... this can't be..."

Yukari smiled a slim smile, bursting with excitement.

"It is. Crypton Opera House. They want you backstage even. It's going to be a beautiful performance. I heard they were doing Alice in Musicland."

"Oh Yukari, how can I ever thank you?!" Ia shouted. "This is wonderful! I'm so relieved. I never thought I'd be able to go..."

"The carpool ride is right outside school. He'll drive you to your house, and you'll have a limited amount of time to pack. Well, at least... that's what Ms. Sweets says. Good luck, I wish the best for you!"

Ia raced with her backpack to the car, stumbling over the stairs. There, the driver awaited her, grinning a toothy smile.

"I'm Alfred Big, but you can just call me Big Al." The driver told her. "I'll be driving you to the opera theater."

Big Al was a little weird of a name, but she shrugged the thought and got in. In the back of her mind, her knowledge for not toying with strangers rolled in her mind... but she ignored it. She sat in the back, facing her attention towards the sidewalk. Yukari was just making it out the door and waving her goodbye.

Ia waved back, and before she knew it, she was on the road. Big Al was a reckless driver; he drove through many street lights just to get to her house. She couldn't imagine how fast he'd drive on the highway...

His driving was actually pretty terrifying, but she was sure there was a reason behind it. Perhaps, they were going to be late for the opera performance. She wouldn't dare ask him, because he terrified her enough. She was starting to think being in this car was a bad idea... but she still shrugged it off.

He allowed her to get her belongings, and she waved her parents goodbye. Not once did they question the man in the car, like she had. They simply swayed to the left and proposed starry eyed glances at their daughter, wishing the best of luck for them, like they had no care. Ia rolled her eyes. Her parents were so liberal.

Big Al never tried to communicate with her, she noticed. He always stuck his eyes on the road, swerving needlessly like a drunk sailor and causing her trouble. Was he drunk? The thought never came to her. Maybe he was just a lousy driver. Even then, he never struck her as a bad man. Just someone... in need of a few lessons.

None the less, eventually they made it to the opera house, and Ia paid Big Al his cash that she had gotten from her parents. He grunted, but none the less, accepted the money and kicked her out of the car. Though he wasn't the nicest person around... she was sure glad she was out of the car.

She turned her attention to the door, too nervous to knock it. Her shyness was controlling her again...

CREAK

Well, looks like she had no need.

A fair eyed maiden with turquoise hair and same colored eyes answered the door; she had a lovely complexion, but Ia was too busy looking at her beautiful outfit to really see it. The costumes of an opera were always gorgeous, and this girl was wearing what appeared to be a crimson Victorian party dress. She hid her long lashes behind her bashful smile, but her nervousness was unnoticeable and her boldness was broad. She took her hand, and soon... she was in through the door.

Already, Ia could clearly take a liking to this girl. Her smile was bigger then Mars, her eyes filled with joy. But it was not creepy in anyway... a little robust, maybe. But never scary.

"A little anxious to get backstage, aren't you?" The girl asked. "I'm Miku, and I play the role of the queen of hearts in Alice in Musicland. I'm sure you'll like it."

Nervousness battled between her as she struggled to convey a sentence... but swallowing bitter feelings, she said;

"Of course, Miku..." _She's only being nice to me because I'm one of the few people selected to be backstage... and see the show. I can't guarantee she actually wants me here._

"Would you like to see some of our performers?" She asked. Her smile was quite ambiguous.

"S-sure." Ia whispered.

As they walked along side the back rooms, Ia spotted Galaco primping in a mirror, muttering things to herself. Her idol met eyes with her, and she sighed, taking out some lipstick.

"Another one?" She heard the idol mutter. "What a waste of my time."

She could feel Miku powerfully glare at Galaco, as if empowered enough to talk back to her. It was so obvious that Miku had not taken a liking to Galaco like she had...

Then again, the likeliness of her idol was fading severely.

Miku showed her through more doors, finding more people dressing up. So many were girls, that Ia started to think it was some sort of female-only opera, until they had gotten to a room at the end of the hall with a young opera male. He had honey-colored hair, and cerulean eyes, and his hair was wrapped in a ponytail. He was not dressed up like all the others... and his outfit consisted of baggy sweats, long t-shirt with the Crypton logo on it, and an undone tie.

Her heart skipped a beat. Her eyes drew immediately to his pure sky blue eyes, and slumped shoulders. He had a relaxed look; he was laid back, cool and calm. His arms were over his head as he stretched out and yawned, and gave a dazzling smile to her that could break ice. If looks could kill, this boys looks would murder her instantly. She knew there was something about this boy she liked, but she couldn't tell what.

"Oh? Miku I see you brought a guest. I'm Len. Come in, and please tell me your name." The boy invited. Was it just her, or was the room getting hotter?

She reluctantly stepped foot into his studio, as he was eager to see her.

"Smile for me, lovely." He asked.

She smiled nervously.

"No, not like that. A real smile comes from confidence, not shyness." She could feel the tips of her mouth being pinched into a real smile by his strangely feminine hands. "There. Now, you can truly shine. So who are you, lovely damsel?"

"A-aria. But everyone calls me Ia." Ia whispered.

"Can you sing soprano, Ia?"

"Yes... I can sing quite well..."

"Prove it."

Ia sang the melody of a song she once knew. A song about a butterfly lost in time... and watching as the days go by. The butterfly never once fell from the sky... the butterfly was always pure and loving... but the world turned cold and miserable before the eye. And the butterfly lost it's colors, slowly but surely. The butterfly lost it's happiness, and it fell into an array of darkness. Born. Reborn. Born. Reborn. The butterfly was reborn again, only to submit to the same fate of eventually falling from the sky. Soon it tired of the repeating cycle, so it found a change. And the world was restored to it's former glory. Her voice was hauntingly beautiful to the boy, and the notes were high pitched and filled with vibrato. She poured her soul into this song, that was taught to her by her grandmother.

"You have a beautiful voice there, Ia. So charming... you should be the main act instead of Galaco. Galaco has her moments... she's rather catty if I do say so myself. With Miku by your side, you would make a lovely duet... but can you dance?"

"I can dance." Ia responded. "I took dance lessons since the age of 10. I'm 15 now."

"Show me you can."

Len played some ballet music, and Ia's feet immediately swept the room, as she lightly swayed her body left and right. Miku watched her with awe in her eyes as she picked up her feet and leap across the room, only to give a little twirl and gracefully position herself in front of the seemingly younger boy. By then, she was all sweaty, but Len had a big smile on his face.

Him and Miku clapped, just as a third idol made her way into the room.

"Hey, what's the big fuss? Wait- I know who you are. Your that girl who was selected to be backstage. Len's got his little finger wrapped around you, doesn't he? Hah, I'm only kidding. I'm Mayu, and I play one of the Queen's minions. I'm rather good friends with Miku, so don't get on either of our bad sides, okay?" Mayu shouted. Mayu was dressed like a red card. Her costume was laughable, contrast to Miku's gorgeousness. "Hey- don't go eyeballing my costume like that. I'm not some sort of skank."

Miku gave a chuckle.

"Don't say that to our future talent." Miku protested. "She's caught the eye of Len and that says plenty."

"I don't give a crap if she's captured the eye of Len! Most of us get rigorous training to become good! Have some common sense Miku. You are my best friend. You can't let some stupid fool become better then you!" Mayu shouted. "Besides, aren't you and Len dating? You can't let a little girl get in the way of it, right?"

"Mayu, as much as I hate to say it, you could never convince me otherwise, that Ia is just what we need to get the show to spark again." Len argued. "And if she is a little girl, then I am a little boy. I am one year younger then her."

"Leave it to Len to be mature about everything. You know your stuff for a fourteen year old, despite your age." Mayu complimented harshly.

"As long as it's believable, I'm good." He turned to Ia. "It's obvious you have the skills needed to perform. Why don't you try one of our songs? I'll give you a few minutes to read through, then you can perform in here in front of all of us."

"Uh, okay." The short boy handed her a piece of music. "This is Galaco's part, right?"

"Indeed. Miku can show you the dance, right honey?" Len asked Miku. Miku blinked but nodded her head as he started the song. She swayed to the beat, and under her breath counted the steps. Her moves were godly; with every rhyme, a new move was formed. She twirled and thrust herself into the air, meeting her eyes with Len who stopped the music.

"Now, show her what you did." Len commanded.

Unwillingly, Miku let out a sigh and went over the steps that she had done. Ia payed close attention, gasping at how good she was. Once she explained everything, Ia went over it several times with Len instructing her.

"Good. I think manager Kaito will be pleased." Len smirked, flashing a sharp toothed smile. Ia had to admit even his little fangs were cute, but shook her head rambunctiously at this fact.

"Whaaat?! You plan on taking her to manager Kaito? Are you a dumb boy, or do you actually have some sense? Yeah, I admit; she's good. But she's not good enough! He'll fire us all you big pile of rotting-"

"Mayu, it's alright! I doubt Kaito will fire any of us. Kaito said it himself that he's in need of a few more performers. It wouldn't hurt to show off Ia's talent, would it?" Miku asked.

"I guess you're right Miku-Miku." Mayu shifted her eyes on Ia with a glare. "But if you make one mistake, I'll make sure you get fired!"

Ia had to admit Mayu bugged her quite a bit, but it wouldn't stop her from being nice. She slipped a smile, hiding behind Len. Ia had to admit Mayu was just as nice as Galaco in terms of appearance. They could even be sisters with their rainbow hair, though Mayu had a lot more rainbow hair then Galaco, alongside with long wavy blonde hair. Her eyes were yellow, similar to Galaco's.

"Miku, honey, go catch Kaito. Tell him we have just what he needs." Len asked.

Miku nodded her head and left the room, much to Mayu's protests. When she came back with a scarf bearing, blue haired man wielding an ice cream cone, it was hard to think of acting, let alone anything.

"What is it, Len? Oh wait- who's this?" Kaito took a lick of his ice cream cone while inspecting the new visitor. "Share you're name with me, young lady."

"Aria, sir." Ia told him. "But please call me Ia. I'm the one who won the contest, sir."

"Ia, huh? Well, Miku says you're very talented. Don't be intimidated by me, just go with the flow. If what Miku says is true, you can be a backup for Mayu. I also heard you were lovely at backstage effects and lighting, which is the whole reason I had you come here now, wasn't it?"

"Uh, yeah." Ia responded.

"Take it from the top, Len."

When that very same music played, Ia sprung into action, counting her steps; she danced around the room with little room to spare. Ia leap across the sky, imaging she was performing in a beautiful medieval dress; the skirt waving endlessly through the glade of the mountains. But once the music stopped, the mountain tops and sky disappeared, and all there was was a room full of actors and actresses who anticipated their manager's reply.

Kaito had not smiled at that point, but slowly, his gratitude was overwhelming.

"Well well, Ms. Ia. You've shown me potential to be a performer, and potential to be behind the scenes. Which would you like to pick?"

Before Ia could even open her mouth, Len put the words there for her.

"An actress of course." He looked at her and added; "Wasn't that your dream, Ia?"


	2. To dream of Stardom

Author's Note:

_I totally forgot to mention this, but I drew the cover. xD I'm mostly an artist, but I write fanfics for fun. :) Anyway, I hope you enjoy the rest of this story~  
_

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Chapter 2: To dream of Stardom

Ia was astonished.

Her dream? Why yes... it was her dream to act. To sing. To perform. To be in an opera in general and get lots of love. It was her dream to feel the applause. Even if she were only a backstage dancer, she would know how it would feel to be an actress. No matter what it takes.

Ia wanted to feel the audience applaud her. She wanted to leap across mountains of gold, dress up in silly or romantic costumes; express herself. She wanted to become rich and famous and see the world around her. She wanted to find love, get married, then dance under the stars. Even if all of that was only a step away... she'd still have to prove her worth.

None the less, to prove herself worthy, she'd have to work for it. And work she will.

"Yes, I do love to act. I've always wanted to act... but how could you possibly know that?" Ia asked.

Len was tickled fancy with gleeful shades of pink, but he said;

"Sometimes, it's my manly intuition." He paused, making sure Ia was paying attention. "The moment I looked into you're eyes, I saw talent bristling from beyond the streams of heaven~ I can barely control myself after such a damsel like you appears, you really made me lose control."

Miku scowled at that remark. Len giggled and added;

"But oh Miku, you make my heart sour tens times faster! You are my radiant beam, my time of night. I love you much more then anyone else, please don't forget that. I love you and only you, always..."

Miku's cheeks went red, but she still held a furious expression on her face.

"Well, I'd really hate to be the sharpest point of the sword, but I think we should get going. I should probably practice my part as the mad hatter. Miku... I'm going to my studio."

Miku nodded her head slowly, and Mayu mumbled something to her, that Ia caught as "He's not worth your time, anyway..."

Slowly, all three of them left the room.

Kaito squinted his eyes, fixing his blue hair. Ia gulped, fixing her own, subconsciously fixated on copying his moves. It was common knowledge for someone like her to be sheepish. But truly, she was as nervous as a mother is when a child moves out for college... at any rate, if Kaito didn't like her, he could after all, take her whole new job and fire her, sending her out to the dogs.

She would make sure it never happened.

"So, Ia..." Kaito started. "If you really are interested in acquiring this job, there's certain measurements that need to be taken in order to function properly. First off, we start you with a small part. The reason to start small, is to show how well you do under peer pressure. You'll be a Queen of Heart's minion. You understand?"

Ia nodded her head.

"Yes, Kaito, uh, sir. I understand full heartedly." She minced.

"Good. Now, before any of this can be done, we must get permission from your parents. The reason for that is because you will be living in this opera house, and will only be able to see them on the weekends, if at all. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir." Ia nodded her head. "I'll call them right now."

"The phone is in the hall. When you dial it; be sure to dial 9 first. That will put you on the phone line. Good luck."

"Thanks."

Ia exited the room, getting to the hallways to call her parents. Her mother answered the phone; sounding extremely exhausted. Ia simply explained the news, and she perked up instantly. Ia knew the tip of her tongue stood on it's next few words, and she hoped they were good.

"My! I just don't know what to say... our child, becoming a star so fast! Well then... Aria, take my word for it; you are golden. Believe in yourself, stay strong, and no matter what, perform your best. You have my permission, of course you do! Just remember; money doesn't buy happiness, so at least come over here and see your family every once in a while. We love you, and we miss you. Break a leg!"

By the tone of her mother, she appeared to be happy as she hanged up. Ia could barely control her excitement, but managed it as she made her way back to manager Kaito. Kaito had an enthusiastic smile on his face, both encouraging and intimidating. He pushed his hair out of the way and coughed... as Ia gave the good news.

"Manager Kaito, my mom said it was okay for me to perform." Ia told him.

Kaito's smile turned into a grin.

"That's great to hear, Ia. The performance is still a month away, and you have a lot of work to do, but you do have the time needed to rehearse. Rest easy today, though, I'll give you your work tomorrow. I'll show you your room."

Ia nodded her head as Kaito and her walked together, down the hallway, and took a left down a split hallway. He knocked on the first door he could find.

A worn out Miku answered the door.

"Huh? Dearest Kaito, what is going on?" Miku asked.

"Ia, is taking the empty bed." Kaito told her. "She'll be staying in your establishment."

"Oh... alright. Cool." Miku replied.

It appeared Miku either wasn't the best mood, or was annoyed by her. Either way, it wasn't good.

"I'll be leaving you two now. Good luck, and Miku..." Kaito paused. "Give Ia a good time, and help her out for me, okay?"

Miku reluctantly nodded her head as he made his way out. She gestured Ia in, and sat on an unmade bed, not bothering to look at her. Her eyes were watery, and Ia knew something was wrong.

"Could it be my misconception that Len is using me?" She spoke out loud, more to herself then to Ia.

"Using you?" Ia asked. "He said it himself, he loves you and you only. Why do you think-"

"I wasn't asking you this question." Miku cut off. "I mean... I just get worried sometimes... that's all. Sometimes, I don't even think he's my man. He acts so differently then how he used to... but I still can't help but be so very madly in love with him. I can't help but suspect he likes you more then he should."

"That's pure nonsense." Ia responded. "I just met him. True love doesn't occur in one night."

"I just worry..."

Ia grabbed her hands, surprised at herself.

"Don't." Ia told her. "His eyes are on you and you only. I bet, he'll even come into this very room and prove you wrong."

As if on cue, the door opened, and Len popped his head out of it, flashing a lovely smile.

"Well, if it isn't such a fine day on this grand evening. Miku, honey, would you like to go out for tea?"

Miku blushed, as he picked her off her feet and embraced her. For the first time, Ia noticed that Len was actually shorter then Miku; an unusual propaganda between couples. He slowly went for her lips, and she was sure Miku was deciding against it, but his lips drove into hers none the less; and neither one fought at all. The kiss went deeper, and Ia noticed something strange while watching them... she found herself staring at his long, long eyelashes, which consisted of feminine quality. So feminine... it was hard to call him a boy. Now that she thought of it, his whole appearance was girly... but in the end, when they broke apart, his appearance didn't matter. He was still a boy, and that didn't change anything. She couldn't be getting gender confused already...

"Oh Len..." Miku whispered when she pulled away from his embrace. "I'll have tea with you, but you must promise me you'll tell me the things that runs through your head."

"As always, my little dove." Len winked.

Both of then exited the room, holding hands.

Ia looked on the ground, having witnessed the huge change in Miku. At first, Miku's attitude about Len was heavier then stone, and now it's lighter then a feather flying through midair. Perhaps her heart was like that too; getting the heavy load picked up and swept away. Her sky must have been dark before Len brightened it; maybe it rained before the sun started to shine. Whatever it was, she knew Len and Miku were happy, and whatever doubt was there was gone. Possibly, it was buried... unable to rise again. She could only hope.

It's sort of like Ia's little moment of doubting Len being male, but she'd give it a rest for now, and open up the cage for another day.

As if on cue, Mayu woke up the dead by entering the room. Ia's eyes fell on her, and before she stopped herself, she mumbled;

"Len has unnaturally long eyelashes."

"What do you mean?" Mayu asked. "Don't tell me his appearance is rubbing off on you too! Bah, he's like a magnet... it sickens me how he clings so hard to my best friend and doesn't let me have any time with her!" Ia stepped away as Mayu stepped closer, only to whisper in her ear. "Well, wouldn't you like to have him for a boyfriend? Surely Miku's love for him won't last forever... he's such a rascal, he simply must be using her, wouldn't you agree?" Ia subconsciously nodded her head, nervously.

"Well, I have a proposition for you, dearest newbie. Prove yourself worthy to me, by spying on them for me, and I'll accept you." Mayu spat.

"B-but Mayu... it's wrong to-"

"It's not." Mayu told her. Then she curled around her ear and whispered; "Besides, don't you want to know the truth about Len? About his long lashes, girly nails, and small nose? Maybe, you want to know why he's so interested in someone like you. Either way, you'll find that out and more if you spy on him and Miku for a bit. It's likely he's so fond of you, he'd not punish you for your actions if you got caught, and even if it brings Miku's trust down a bit, you'll have captured his interest."

Ia blinked once, then twice at the proclamation. She didn't know what to think of the whole issue.

"I... I really don't know, Mayu." Ia whispered. "It doesn't seem right..."

"I'll give you time to think about it." Mayu told her. Before Ia could argue, she slammed the door shut.

Even her body temperature changed at just the thought of ease dropping on them and finding out their secrets. Either way, it was something she had to think through... but she found her hand on the doorknob before she knew it.

She walked out of her room.

Take a little step to the left.

Walk down a hall.

Bingo.

She peered in.

Just a little more...

Yes.

Len was sitting on a chair, drinking tea. He poured Miku some, and she sat down. Len had his back to her, but she could clearly see Miku. Miku seemed a little aggravated; the expression on her face was not all butterflies and roses, but rather pitchforks and knives. Len appeared calm, despite being unable to see his face.

"Len... why is it that you seem so fond of Ia?" Miku asked him.

Immediately, he went a little stiff, but none the less replied;

"Honey, I love you and you only. You are my world... not some other girl. We've been dating for a year now, remember?"

"Proof it to me then. If you love me so much, you'll have me whole. Every bit of me. I can't lose you, Len, I can't lose anything of you at all. I'm desperate for the attention you used to give me, I crave for more."

"Miku, I-"

"You never even take off that blasted shirt of yours." She turned towards him, pushing the table aside to grab his shirt. "I'm sixteen... I'm deserving of your love, aren't I?"

"Stop it Miku!" He shoved her aside. "I'm not a sex machine. What I want is love, pure love, purest of the pure... I want a good minded romance in favor of two people, not a maddening sex chase! Just please, leave me alone!"

"Len... Len! I'm sorry... I didn't mean for it to appear that way. Never had I fallen in love with you because I wanted your body... I'm sorry that it appeared that way Len."

"No, Miku, It's fine, I know what you meant." Len told her. "You need someone to love you. Miku, I love you very much. I can't ever love another person, because no matter what, we'll always be together."

"Len..."

"I'll seal off our promises with a kiss, if granted."

Miku leaned close to him, smiling.

"Wish granted, my love."

The moment they kissed, Ia found herself closing the door and walking away, stepping over into her room. Miku soon came into the room with a warm smile on her face, breathing in the air.

"Turns out he loves me." She said with a smug grin. "He's so dreamy, Ia. Every bit of information about him is dreamy... I can't help but find no deceit in him, no matter how hard I try."

"Do you think he's really a guy?" Ia asked.

Miku laughed.

"Of course! Why else would I be so madly in love with him~" She sang.

Ia sighed, falling to her bed. Miku chuckled, then pulled the covers on her.

"Maybe one day you'll find love, Ia." Miku told her. "Because you'll know when you do. It's a magical feeling... the feeling of being held together and lifted up into the sky. I love Len, because he's so generous and nice... he never yells or gets upset at you... he's always holding back, just like he used to... I love him so much."

"Yeah, maybe..."

"Goodnight, Ia."

The world went black, and Ia closed her eyes.

And yet, somehow, the world was spinning.


	3. To Hear a Phantom

Author's Note:

_Alright, so let me explain my love for this chapter. Okay, so this is the chapter where we first get to meet the phantom. It might be too soon, I don't know, but I love this chapter. All the songs in this chapter are written by me, because I honestly just want to do song writing. xD I attempted to sing them but... I still have to work on them a little to make them singable. xD /needs to learn how to write music. *cough* *cough* Anyway~ __  
_

_I attempted to create the song that Ia describes as "The butterfly that is reborn," But so far, I only have it in my plannings. It'll probably show up later in the story.  
_

_Sorry if the italics and bold is overused... couldn't help it. *hehe*  
_

_Enjoy this chapter!~  
_

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Chapter 3: To Hear a Phantom

"_Is that... singing?"_

_Ia's eyes opened to a magnificent world; cold shadows and illuminating clouds. Candle lights burning to a crisp, mysterious singing in the wind, projecting further out into the abyss. She took a step further, only to fall back into darkness. Only the magnificent voice of the suitor awaited her. _

"_**Come, come hither,**_

"_**To a world of love, lust, and delight;**_

"_**Come take your steps closer;**_

"_**Feel the grave moonlight."**_

_Lulled in her sleep, taking steps at the most. The brave girl found herself surrounded by the candles that flicked and swayed at the voice. Her voice was calm and serene; it gave great light. She could barely keep awake at the voice; it was lulling her into a deep, deep sleep. It was so calm, yet so rich and full of love, she felt warm against it's embrace which surely took her._

"_**Take a step away from your worries, troubles and pain;**_

"_**Sooth yourself in my warm enriched world, full of promise and might;**_

"_**Be silent when the day is young, feel pleasure in my greatest toll;**_

_**"Till the daylight breaks, and the only shadow is your soul."**_

_Eye to eye, hand to hand. She met with the strange girl, who took her and led her upon the twilight. Masked was she, the girl in black, draped with a cape, and a green leather vest. It was hard to see her black dress under her cape; but it was there, swaying with the wind. Her appearance was mystifying, maybe even a little bothersome, but Ia was never scared. She took kindly to the girl before her; her lovely face and beautiful clothes._

"_**Sing with me, as we tell tales of beyond;**_

"_**Sing of the love we share;**_

"_**Sing of our peace and harmony; **_

"_**With every bond we have, **_

"_**Let us sing a new melody of the love we share."**_

"Ia? Ia~" The voice was faded, but Ia heard it clearly.

"M...mmm?" Ia opened her eyes, finding herself face to face with Miku. There was a small smile on her face. Her eyes seemed a little more strained then usual, which she took as staying awake with Len too long, and practicing. Whatever they had been doing, was obviously romantic... but it wasn't any of her business.

"Here's your papers for today. Kaito handed them to me. We're supposed to be practicing A.S.A.P. So I recommend you get your papers and go with me to the auditorium." Miku said with a smile. She seemed a little bit happy... but not by far. It probably wasn't one of her better days.

Ia nodded her head sleepily, slowly getting off the bed to collect the paper that said; "Alice in Musicland." The dream rolled off into a hazy mess that was her exasperated brain, but still hung in the back of her mind. For some reason, she had a feeling the dream was only dormant; not completely undone. Well, it didn't matter now, a dream's a dream.

She grabbed her papers and followed her way through the auditorium, with Miku by her side. Miku sleepily put her foot back and forth, as if having no energy, and Ia couldn't help but think something was wrong, but when she asked her, she pulled back a smile and told her she was fine.

The two of them walked towards the end of the hallway, taking a right. For some reason, Ia couldn't shake off the feeling of Miku's stress. Obviously something was up; Miku had been fiddling with her fingers the whole way, and though she tried to hide it by raising her head and standing proud, she could tell she was nervous about something.

None the less, it was probably none of her concern, or Miku might tell her later. She couldn't force information out of someone, no matter how much she felt like it; it wasn't right.

Needless to say, after going through a couple more corners, they made it to the performance stage, where Mayu, and 3 other people she didn't recognize were at. One had luscious pink hair, which was fairly wavy and long, she was too far away to guess the eye color, but it probably was a crisp blue. Obviously, they were a female. The other, a male, had cloudy white hair and multicolored eyes. The last one was a short haired girl; her hair was a colorful green, and she had matching green eyes to go with it. All of them were dressed up casually.

Galaco was the last one to walk in, and she met eye to eye with Ia with a settle grin. Ia couldn't tell if she were acting nice or not; but she knew she was coming over to her.

"Ia, was it?" Galaco asked.

Ia's heart thumped with excitement as her idol spoke her name.

"Oh yes, Galaco! I am your biggest fan! I would get an autograph if we weren't working together. I love the way you sing your high notes! They are so filled with vibrato and-" She stopped dead cold once Miku had a foul expression on her face. Galaco was laughing; but her laughter was not as warm as Ia might have liked. Maybe even malicious.

"Thanks, but... if you really felt this way, you wouldn't be working with prima donna like me. You have no desire to top me, so therefor, you should go home to your little family. You have no right to be here, most of us work our tails off to get a decent spot in this play, and I can't have some lousy beginner like you trampling my footsteps and getting past me! Go back to your little private school where you belong. You're not good enough to be here. You never will be."

"Why I-"

Miku grabbed a hold of her shoulder and stopped her. She whispered in her ear;

"It's not worth it, Ia. Galaco picks on everyone here... she's always picking fights with people."

With a breath, Ia watched as Kaito walks to the conductor's seat and took a seat. He yelled at everyone to prepare, and everyone scatters to prepare like birds with food; everyone except for Galaco is on edge, who immediately steps up on stage and starts her performance.

Her voice was gorgeous. So beautiful; it made Ia's heart melt like butter. She walked around the stage with confidence as Ia sat backstage and watches the performance. Her heart was on fire as she sang her last verse, and continued on dancing, swaying through the stage with sincere assurance. Ia did have to admit one thing, though, even if it appeared she was Alice, she knew Alice wouldn't have such an attitude.

When Galaco was done with her last line, the green haired girl moved onto stage, shouting; "I'm late, I'm late!" and racing around the stage with utter confusion before disappearing behind the curtains. Galaco, with an attitude, followed the rabbit off stage in a heartbeat. Then...

Nothing happened. No one appeared. Kaito went into a rage, trying to figure out what was possibly going wrong. He screamed for everyone to stop.

All the opera stars came onto the stage.

"Where... is the mad hatter?" He yelled. "Len, is the mad hatter. Where is he?"

Ia was standing by Miku, who was shaking bitterly.

"I don't know, sir." Miku told him. Her hid her face to stop the tears that had been occurring from her eyedrops, but Ia plainly saw her nervousness.

"Well, find him! In the meantime, Mayu will be the new mad hatter. Ia, you are the new Queen of Heart's minion for now. When Len returns, he'll be working back stage! That damned boy! He always disappears on me! I should fire him!"

Everyone nodded, and Miku gulped. Ia had a feeling something was up... she'd definitely ask Miku about it on lunch break.

"Places everyone!"

Everyone got into place, and Ia walked back stage. Peering out to the rest of the performance, she noticed Mayu's mad hatter expression. Mayu had that mad grin and loveable craziness portrayed in her character. She twirled around in circles, briefly grabbing Galaco and twirling her around. She took tea and drank it and then forced Galaco to serve her more. Her character was so perfect, it almost made her wonder WHY Len was a better fit. Then again, she hadn't seen his acting skills.

Then, Mayu and Galaco seemingly galloped across the stage and into the curtains; and out came Galaco, the grand Alice, and the pink haired girl who Ia took as the Cheshire cat. Mysterious was she, the cat; the fog that was clearly visible on the screen made her disappear plenty of times, only to reappear behind Galaco with a mysterious grin on her face. There was a supposed diva-like dazed expression on Galaco's face, and though she was a good actor, Ia couldn't help but wonder if she were overdoing it to mock the girl.

"That's Luka." Miku whispered into her ear. "Her part fits her well, because she doesn't let anyone know a thing about her."

Ia didn't do a thing but nod her head.

Needless to say, the other parts went just as smoothly; and before Ia knew it, her part was next. Leading onto the stage, she put on her best smile, and her heart filled with nervousness. She walked out with Miku, and Miku sang her lines in some cases, and in others saying the verses. Ia scooted towards Miku, paper in hand. She then sang;

"She's here! _The Alice of wonderland~"_

Miku then did a crazy cackle, that Ia didn't even know she could possess. She then politely gestured to Galaco;

"A fine evening to you, dearest Alice. May all your efforts be in vain. For you see, I am the ruler of wonderland, the queen of hearts. I have the best voice. Me and only me! Everyone, sing for me! Let there be music!"

Miku was so crazy good at acting like a lunatic, that Ia almost doubted her lovable personality. She doubted that Miku fit this part well... in fact, she'd rather see the roles reversed. But Galaco had a bitter expression on her face, and she was sure it wasn't acting. The next words were of cold intent.

"Oh! But music is for everyone, don't you see?" Galaco's voice was so cold and sarcastic, Miku hung back in surprise; then a fever of anger took over and she snatched the script from Galaco and threw in on the ground.

"No! Music is for you and only you, because you're so selfish and rude!" Miku screamed. "You always manage to grab the good parts, and I'm left to play the villain! Just because Kaito favors you over me doesn't mean you have to make a big deal out of it!"

"Why I- hmph- I am exasperated with you! You obviously don't know what it's like to be in the lime light. I'll get you fired you... you-"

"_Girls!"_

Kaito screamed into the microphone, obviously annoyed by their conversation. His face was quite red hot from anger, and sweaty from his nerves. Ia knew it wasn't a good sign as Kaito slowly walked towards the stage, eventually stepping on to it to reach the two girls who were scrabbling to get their booklets to whack each other with. They stopped dead cold once they heard his footsteps upon the theater stage.

"Dammit girls... I can't have all these interruptions! Let it go, or else I'll fire both of you!" Kaito shouted. "We're almost to the end, but I guess we need a lunch break. Go. Be back by one o' clock. And as for you two," Kaito gave them dagger glares. "I need to have a talk with both of you."

Everyone nodded their head as they walked off stage. Ia figured it was mandatory to wait for Miku so she could chat with her about Len, so she stayed by a corner. And yet... she found herself being lulled to walk back to the dorms by herself. Something wavered within her, yet urged her to go forward; she found herself walking towards Len's room and walking towards a mirror. The mirror was a full length one; it was so old, it was made out of pure gold with intricate designs. It made Ia go into a daze. What had possessed her to come here, she didn't know; but she craved to touch the golden mirror.

If she had common sense, she wouldn't be here. But something compelled her to it; demanded her to hold her palm against the mirror. Her gut instincts told her to flee, but she found herself falling into bliss as her palm touched the mirror. Her eyes moved to the reflection. What was she doing?

But before she could yank away, something opened the mirror and pulled her in with a gasp. She fell to the ground as the passage closed behind her. Her heart was jumping like never before, leaping over rails of wildfire like a crackling flame; it skipped beats once she saw what had dragged her in.

Not some monster, bizarre creature or beast. Not some stranger wanting to have herself hanged or killed in some gruesome way. But the Phantom. The Phantom from her dreams.

Before she could scream, her hand was covered firmly. Her eyes were turned hazy with fear once they met up with the girl. She was a bit different from her dreams but only so in a small amount; for one, she was real. Two, she was much more frightening. Three, she wore a hood that covered her appearance. Four, there was a soft smile on her face. Five, well... she couldn't think of another reason, other then the fact her appearance squeezed the air out of her.

"_We all dream, don't we Ia?" _

She knew her name! Ia couldn't believe it; she knew her name and knew it well.

"We all have our dreams, our destinies. What's yours?"

Oh the shivers! She was getting goosebumps all over! How her voice was so pleasant yet so familiar... how her eyes shown with love and mercy. But she was scared! Terrified! She wanted to run back through the mirror. She wanted to hide! She wouldn't dare speak to this stranger! But... but...

The opera girl gestured her forward, and Ia was lulled to follow. Out of plain curiosity or the simplicity of something stupid. Out of her heart, not her mind. Her eyes were glued to the back of her green vest as she was lulled to follow.

The walls felt like they were caving in until the girl boldly grabbed her hand. Then, everything faded out into a dim nothing until they made their way to a boat, all her attention favored for the fearless suitor. The way her body moved against the cold darkness as she held her hand had emotions within her rumble into a strong stir; something told her this attraction was much stronger then her efforts to flee. She'd chewed off her last bit of defense, and nothing possessed her to leave. Not even her pounding heart.

The boat was clear in view by now, and the phantom lightly took her and set her down on the boat. Softly, it rocked back and forth as she rowed the boat with her oars; projecting a mystical feeling. Len, Miku, and Mayu all disappeared. Vanished. Her focus was all on the phantom girl; and something within her was glowing. Ia didn't believe in love at first site... but this made her believe anything was possible.

The waters gently were pushed through streams of melodies, as the phantom girl sang softly; her words sent shivers down Ia's spine, but made her tingle with delight. The words were gone astray as the phantom began to hum. The song was quite familiar, but Ia had never put her mind to it what it was; or where it had came from. It was beautiful, registering in both alto and soprano; she was trapped in a daze of delight; captivated in the sad and wondrous tones of her suitor.

She sang of a butterfly finding it's way through the world. Being reborn. Finding happiness. And Ia realized the song, and her eyes turned bigger then diamonds.

"That song..." Ia muttered. The Phantom let out a small smile as she took her hand and kissed it; leading her towards a small room up ahead.

"Sit." She commanded, leading her to a red chair; it was quite comfortable. Ia took a clear visual of the room, staring at the beautiful candles surrounding it. The room was filled with many other things, some which should have bugged her; but didn't. Like a stone tombed coffin surrounded by roses.

Ia wanted to get up and explore the room, but the phantom softly placed her back in the red chair.

"Stay." She whispered.

"W-wait... what's your name?" Ia asked sheepishly. A smile crept up to the girl's face, her eyes hidden behind the mask from which it laid. It was hard to tell what she was feeling; her emotions seemed invisible; but she had least saw the smile upon her face.

"There isn't a way I could tell you without you disbelieving me." The girl with the green vest told her. "Surprises are quite lovely, aren't they? Maybe in time, we'll speak of this again, and I'll reveal my name."

"Why did you drag me here?"

"Drag? I didn't drag you here, my love~ you chose to come here, all by yourself. You were lulled here by my existence, my outpouring, harboring love for you. I can barely understand why you would say you would be 'dragged' here. It's quite uncivilized."

"I'm a little scared..."

The phantom girl laughed, inching closer to her face to grab her chin. Ia's face exploded in waves of rosy desire; her cheeks were stained with bright red. She insisted on pulling away, but felt no desire to. Her love had conquered all.

"Don't be, love. We should get to know each other in the midst of our battles for love and desire. You make my kindle a flame, breathing fire into the depths of my soul; you make me feel so heavily hearted, I can barely keep up with my own love. My own heart fails to compromise with me; my own soul fights with my heart everyday. But guess who won? You did. Our hearts will mend together in a world of fairy tale and myrrh. We will know each other far better from where we started. If I am a stranger, then who am I to blame when my heart gives out to me the desires from which it exhales? I breath for your oxygen, and fight for your love. I find myself entangled in your truths. You stole my heart, Ia."

Ia's heart beat with measures of truth and prosperity, her own kindle flickering endlessly against the void of the candle; with every heart beat in sink with the flame, she knew her mind danced with the riddles of problems. Her mind toyed with endless frustration of never finding out who this mysterious woman was, who rekindled the flame long forgotten. Her heart was a flare; it burned with the flames, but never gave out. Ia found herself dying to get closer to the phantom, to figure out all her secrets before her heart gave out with it's last flame.

The phantom seemed to be illuminating under the shadows from which it laid. Her heart wavered pleasantly; they stared at each other so contently, so fully loved and cherished. Ia stared into the girl's eyes, desperately wanting to know her name, or which she had laid.

The phantom girl leaned closer, pecking her on the cheek and holding her in a soft embrace. Softly, she sang a rhythm of a song into her ear. Ia didn't recognize this one, but the song was so gorgeous, so lovely. Her voice was so strong, yet strangely childish on high notes; her voice was so serene, so golden.

"_**You are the one I desire;**_

"_**And only your heart lights me on fire;**_

"_**Through cold and miraculous nights; **_

"_**Through the candled daylights;"**_

And yet, in many ways; the phantom girl's strangely beautiful voice caused her to fall into a deep, deep sleep. Her eyes fluttered and blinked endlessly as she batted her eyelashes until they shut closed, and refused to open; and all she could hear was the phantom's haunting singing.

"_**Find me in loose tides and hiding shapes;**_

"_**Find a place where we can recreate; **_

"_**The meaning of love, the meaning of life;**_

"_**Because in reality is a world we all face...**_

"_**Our own loves and lies, and lusts and desires;"**_

Ia was on the verge of unconsciousness, and the phantom girl softly laid her on a bed and let her sleep. Her heart was to a near stopping point; her mind filled with nothing but thoughts of the strange girl she had met; the strange opera girl, who appeared to be a phantom from her dreams. Her mind blurred; and then everything gave out, and only the rest of the song haunted her...

"_**You light my world on fire...**_

"_**You kindle the flame from which it brings;**_

"_**And softly hide the pain;**_

"_**For the most important part to believe in;**_

"_**Is your heart and mine,**_

"_**Your tale and mine;**_

"_**That I desire you, and only you. **_

"_**My grand singing angel."**_


	4. To be in Love

_Author's Note:_

_So, this chapter is not one of my favorites, but I still like it alright. The reason it's late to arrival is because I've been balancing this with drawing and poetry/song writing, and also the fact I had to rewrite a few things that sounded stiff. _

_Somehow, I feel like I don't like this chapter that much because Rin's not in it. xD But, this is no filler. There's stuff happening in this chapter that is *SUPER* important.  
_

_Anyway, enjoy~  
_

* * *

Chapter 4: To be In Love

Ia had fallen into dazes she could never break out of. Ties of life that she could never break. Roses she could never sniff, love that she could never recreate. Lies that were not lies, Truths that were burning bright; something within her had melted. Melted... and never become solid again. Was it her heart that had broke through the chains of her mind? Or was it all just a fabric of her imagination?

The Phantom had been there, just as quickly as they had been gone; and with no more dreams to follow. No dream about the phantom entangling her in a sweet romance... no more feeling their touch, the crave she needed to continue with the day. She desired for the phantom girl to hold her in her arms again, no matter who they were or where they had came from. She desired for that sweet bliss once again that the Phantom had given her, that sweet comfort she had gotten. But most of all... she desired to know who this phantom was, for they had captured her heart and set it on fire; it was blazing with the love she so craved.

That girl... that phantom girl... how she so desired more attention from her, just to feel her touch and warm embrace; her soft lips as they kissed her cheek, and maybe even her lips; she wanted everything from her, everything she desired was all because of her... she was being wrapped around her warm shawl with her eyes covered and shut tight. Blind, she was. She was so very blind, she had no clue what this person was, or why she loved them so. They could be anyone... she probably didn't even know them.

She was so in love with her... that she didn't even pay attention to her surroundings. Everyone had thought it odd when she had woken up in her bed that very next morning; she had been gone for hours, and so had Len... Ia had seemed so daydreamy and rosy-cheeked, that everyone had figured she had fallen in love with Len. The only thing that didn't add up, was Len. Although he was gone around the same time as Ia, he was acting normal; but everyone figured he truly was fabulous at hiding secrets with his acting skills; so they started rumors anyway.

Ia paid no heed to the rumors. Her confidence in herself had risen up a lot since she had met the mysterious phantom girl... but soon, the rumors had gotten to Miku, and everything had shattered her heart.

Ia had known Miku as the type to handle her emotions pretty well. She tried not to hate others for what was not their fault, but sometimes, she couldn't help it. Miku was human, and Ia knew that. So, as much as she tried to mend the broken stitches of her heart, Ia knew she couldn't repair everything on her own. But... the phantom had continued to run in her mind, even as the days went by. She couldn't stop thinking about her beauty... how gorgeous her voice had been as she had lulled her to sleep. And so, she thought nothing but of the phantom.

Mayu one day confronted her, however. She stopped by and welcomed her into her room. It was odd; because she appealed more to Mayu, more then ever before, ever since Miku's heart had been deliberately shattered. If she recalled correctly, Mayu said she'd make Kaito fire her if she ever had Miku cry because of her.

Mayu gave a cocky grin instead.

"You know, you did a grand job at breaking Miku's heart. I think she's going mad because of you." Mayu said. The only thing was, it wasn't sarcastic.

Ia didn't understand why Mayu would ever say that and mean it. It seemed wrong...

"Why would you say that?" Ia asked, feeling a tiny bit uncomfortable. Mayu's grin was unsettling; maybe even caused all the little hairs on her back to stand up. She couldn't help but feel even the slightest bit unnerved by Mayu's attitude towards her. It wasn't right...

"Don't you know? Miku's captured my sweet little attention since I could tie my finger around a loop of string.***** She's so dreamy, Ia. We're meant to be, and I'm sure you know what it's like to dream, right? Plus, no one knows a thing about Len, or where he came from, other then Miku. Miku was childhood friends with him. Supposedly, he had a twin sister that died in a car crash... he's been different ever since. Oh, and his dream was to be an opera singer like me, but he simply never took any action until his sister had died."

Ia nodded her head slowly, letting Mayu continue, even if she wanted her to stop.

"For some reason, he's captured your attention. It's strange, because before they seemed like they were madly in love, until you came around. At the same time, however... maybe he hated dating her? I'm suspicious that he was waiting to dump her so he could take you for a stroll. That'd be nice, wouldn't it? You should let him break Miku's heart, because then, she can become mine. But, enough about me, I'm probably scaring you. Have any questions?"

Ia looked at the girl with a new light and it wasn't a good light. Her viewpoint on Mayu had changed rapidly; even if Mayu was only human, her obsessiveness could drive her to become a monster... but... obviously, Ia kept that to herself. And, none the less, she did have a few questions.

"What was the girl's name who died in the car crash?" Ia asked. For some reason, her mind urged her to know.

"Oh, her? I think Miku said it was Rin. Yeah... Rin. Don't know much about her, actually."

"How do you know so much about M-Miku?"

Mayu laughed.

"We know each other outside the theater, like how Miku knows Len. I didn't know her as long as Len has, but I've known her for years as well. They selected both of us to become part of the opera house, and Len followed suit in the end."

Ia nodded her head, feeling overwhelmed by all the new information. Her mind was being trapped in a world full of data and sheets, and now all the little Ias were struggling to keep track of everything.

"Thanks... but why are you telling me all this all the sudden?" Ia asked. "You're kinda freaking me out by all this information."

Mayu's grin just turned wider.

"Why not? I think it's stuff you deserve to know. Miku would never tell you, she's good at keeping secrets from other people- but thanks to you, I can now happily tell her how much I love her."

Ia nodded her head, slipping her hand onto the doorknob. She just wanted to get out of there... Mayu was scaring the hell out of her, her information and how much she knew kept her busy... but why would she dare want Miku to be so miserable?

Shaking her head, she opened the doorway onto the hallway, making her exit, breathing in that air that just wasn't there- not watching where she was moving her feet, fixated on the ground; her mind settle on the phantom and wondering if she were going to appear. Of course, Len popped out of nowhere, and she couldn't help but wonder if he knew about the rumors.

Len waved at her.

"Len, have you heard of the rumors?" Ia's voice was frantic.

Len's expression was much harder to read then Mayu's. Unlike Mayu posing for insanity, Len posed for something she couldn't describe. He had an unreadable look on his face; not enough to make him robotic, but enough to tell her he just didn't want anyone to see what he was thinking.

"Dearest, I find that no rumors can separate the fact that Miku's heart is broke up into tiny pieces. But even then, we shouldn't fixate on the scars, but rather focus on treating the wounds. Miku's heart is swelling up in large pain because of me, and it's my duty to fix that. But, seeing as I'm powerless, I think it's best for you dull the pain with your good sense and fix what has been broken."

Ia was speechless, but none the less replied;

"If fixing the scars is what I do to get her respect back, I guess that's what I'll do."

Len nodded his head.

"I think if you tell your truths to her softly, she'll believe you."

Ia nodded her head and left his site.

As she made her way through the hallway, she was reminded by the 3rd day she had been here at the opera house. Kaito was a mess; he was so angry, Ia had realized she could never tell him the truth. Kaito was pipping angry, so fierce and mad, Ia was sure she was going home. She knew Kaito would have fired her then and there, but she couldn't separate fiction from fact just yet, because Miku had tried hard to convince him otherwise. Miku had stepped up to the plate, telling him that Ia needed a second chance, because she knew Ia was better then that. Kaito had told both of them he would, so long as Ia would put an effort on being there.

Miku's last words to her sent shivers down her spine and still rehearsed in her memory like a good opera play, scarring the very usage of her vocal chords.

"_Ia, I know you didn't do anything bad."_

Did she? Did she really do something bad the moment she had chosen to sneak into Len's room and was grabbed in by a secret mirror door? Her eyes had fallen amongst the mirror and she found herself in a hazy ruin. Once she was swept in, everything was done. She had committed the worst crime. Her heart had committed the worst crime, and that was falling for the phantom girl.

Did the phantom commit the same crime?

Deep in thought, she found herself entrapped in a roaring street of tears. She turned to face what appeared to be the entrance to her room and Miku's. She pressed her ear to the door, hearing the sobs turn louder and more fluent. Miku was a mess of emotions, and Ia knew her heart was wavering bitterly against the stream of her own context, her own values... _her own soul_. She knew Miku had been holding it all in, the pain, the frustration, _the agony _of her living. She loved Len a lot, but had he rejected her, or did she seem to finally get that Len may have not accepted her as much as he should?

Every tear felt so solid, it couldn't have been liquid that had been falling from her face, she swore it was solid rock that was dripping into her skin, and suffocating her with it's gravel. Something had torn apart the pieces of her heart, and now they were being stripped two by two, until her heart was an empty plate. She felt, Miku's pain; she really did. Miku was suffering so much, and Ia felt like she couldn't do a thing about it. But then she remembered what her grandmother had always said in a situation like this;

"_The broken stages of a heart can only be cured with two things: Sympathy and Love."_

Miku had gone silent and looked up when she entered the room. Tears stained her usually high rosy cheeks. She was silent; refusing to speak. She tried to hide the glare, but it came forth strong, like stabbing daggers into her skin. Guilt took her over, causing bitter feelings to swell up in her heart. She realized Miku had some similarities to her; Ia loved to bottle up her frustration until it exploded just as much as Miku had.

She realized Miku's attitude was making her upset, and she knew it. She was fragile; easily damaged. Her heart couldn't take all the stress that Miku was putting on her, so she tried her best to prevent Miku's hatred from shattering her completely.

Miku raised an eyebrow soon enough.

"Why did you come here, if all you ever wanted to do was destroy me?" Miku asked.

"Miku... you're riding a train of lies; my heart isn't where you think it is, and things aren't the way they seem." Ia responded.

"Shut up! Why don't you just reveal your _god damn _secrets to me?!" Miku shouted. "I can't stand you anymore, I want you out of my life! You stole his heart, and now you've shattered mine!"

Ia's eyes widened, and small tear drops rolled out of her eyes.

"You won't, won't you? Because you're too damn selfish! I- I-" Ia looked so terrified that Miku gave a sigh. She then said in a quieter voice; "Look, I'm sorry for yelling at you. Don't take it personally, but I _really_ don't like you right now. Mayu just came in here, and she just... pushed my buttons. So I'm in a really bad mood. But... what were you and Len doing together? Surely, I'm misunderstanding things."

Ia couldn't speak for a while, but then she explained; "I wasn't even with Len at the time... it was just a conci-"

"Look. I know we've only known each other for a week and a half, but at least be honest with me. Please. I don't like liars."

Everything stopped once Miku softly spoke those words. The hardened feelings of her heart had returned. Guilt surged within her, but Ia didn't know why she felt guilty. Why she felt like everything was falling to pieces. She knew her desires weren't with Len at all; because she loved the phantom girl, not him. Yet, she always knew Len had a range of attraction to her at certain points of time. Sometimes, she wanted to be fired just to get away from this drama, but she knew it wasn't in her heart. Being unable to be her life's dream meant never seeing the Phantom girl again, or seeing Miku, Mayu, and Len. And she knew in the short weeks she had come to know them, that she didn't want to "go home." She knew she couldn't.

She wondered what telling the truth would bring her. Miku had been closest to her, and she deserved to know how she really felt. The Phantom girl who loved her so dearly, loved her a lot. So, she would explain that love, and tell her her true emotions.

So, she told her;

"The truth is odd, but I must say it. You see... it's not Len's heart I fell for... but... a girls. A phantom girl's." Miku blinked, but she none the less continued. "Her voice caresses you to a slow and settle heart beat like a lovely siren, so warm and enriched with the melodies of love. Her heart is a maze of love and delight, filled with sands of time; she seems so young. Miku, I can't help it... I know we are the same gender... I'm in love with her deep cerise colored eyes and feminine face. The way she hides herself... the way her eyes hold so much meaning behind them... the way those same eyes sparkle with her heart's message as if delighted or in love, she's just so... magical, Miku."

Miku blinked again, startled by her sudden confession. She was so speechless, she didn't speak for a long time.

"She's in my dreams, Miku. She sings to me, and then I met her in reality... and she was even more exquisite then in my dreams... even more pleasurable to look at. I have no control over myself whenever I see her, she makes me fall into a daze at her presence and I can't control my body..."

Miku had an expression of worry on her face.

"She wears a white opera mask on one side of her face, so I cannot see her eyes, but oh, is her touch so soft- it sends shivers down my spine. She called me her angel of music, but she's more like my angel of music... oh it was so magical, Miku! I want more from her. She sang so many great songs to me, even sang my grandmother's song, you know, the one I sang for you guys. I love her so..."

Miku seemed in between disgusted and intrigued.

"Um... wow. Okay..." Miku had a confused expression on her face. "What about Len?"

"Len had nothing to do with it, honest. It was all her..."

"How does she know your grandmother's song?"

"Um... I don't know. Maybe she was watching us the whole time."

"I have so many questions, but I'll spare you many. I find it hard to believe, but you swear you weren't with Len, right?"

"Yes, I swear I wasn't."

Miku's eyes widened, but none the less, she didn't say much else.

"In love with your girl kidnapper. I swear, Ia, you are the strangest girl I've ever met... but I guess I have to believe you since you do seem like you're telling the truth." Ia sighed in relief.

"Just don't tell anyone."

"I won't. Now, we're supposed to be down at the auditorium by three o'clock, and it's two-fifty right now. We don't want to be late. After all, we only have three more weeks before the next performance."

Ia nodded her head.

"You really won't tell a soul?"

"Don't tell me I'll have to pinky promise."

* * *

_*****Mayu is referring to the string of fate. Think Just be Friends by Megurine Luka, where they had those strings tied around their fingers. It means something along the lines of the two pair being bound together through fate, as far as I remember. _

_The way this is going, Mayu seems to not be who everyone thinks she is... but even then, does that give a right to Ia's suspicion?  
_

_Miku is also good at keeping secrets... but how long can her mind tempt her to keep the secret of the Phantom from Ia's dreams?  
_

_Who is Rin? (Surely you all know that already... /obvious xD )  
_

_What in the world does Len have to do with all this? :O  
_

_And another chapter awaits... :)  
_


	5. To be Captivated

_Author's Note:_

_Sorry for the long wait! I had to rewrite this chapter twice, plus I've been pretty busy in real life with seeing my family and partying until midnight for the new years. Happy new year by the way. :) I realize this story probably will be shorter then I expected it to be... I was only expecting 10-15 chapters, if not less, but it looks like it might be 9 chapters long. I'm trying hard not to rush it, but it's difficult when you got Skyrim and Oblivion on your computer to distract you... ^^;  
_

_I'm also trying hard not to ruin the magic of this story like I do sometimes. Something bad will happen in this, in later chapters, and I'm trying hard to plan it out... but I've been delayed with distractions... even my own art distracts me. OTL (Though it's on topic~ I've drawn fanart for my own story on deviant art. xD I swear, my inspiration is funky sometimes... plus I recorded a tune to one of the phantom songs... and want to turn it into a song. I mean, I got the program to do it (which my brother makes dubstep music with~ ) now I just have to figure out the controls... yaaay for trying something new~ /so off topic OTL  
_

_*cough* Anyway~!  
_

_Hope you enjoy this chapter, and if I'm ready, I may/may not upload the next one too for the sake of uploading more chapters! Yaaaay~_

_Yawn... so tired._

_*coughOKAYENJOYTHECHAPTERandi gnoremyramblingcough*  
_

* * *

Chapter 5: To be Captivated

The auditorium blared with fuses of excitement and wonder, as Ia and Miku made there way towards it. Galaco was by the entrance, showing off her lovely uniform to impressed actresses, waving her blue skirt around like it was no tomorrow, merry met on making others jealous. Beyond her, was Luka, a girl Miku had said was "Gumi" and then a boy who looked rather feminine, who she had told her was "Piko."

The room, turned to a murky silence as Ia put her foot down on the red carpet. Every gaze was more of a solid glare; burning a hole through her eyes. It had cut off her tongue, and now she was bitterly wordless, and without any praise; she scanned the room and looked for Len, only for her eyes to fall upon the back of his hair. He was nearby the stage; the corner of the room. His smile was soft, as usual, as he disappeared behind the curtains.

Her first instinct, was to chase after him. Even if it made her look bad; she just couldn't help it. She pulled away from Miku, fully lit with a surge of flickering flame, and fully dedicated to finding him and his intentions... she made her way towards the curtain and peered in, seeing Mayu walk up to him with some sort of bread in his hands. Ease dropping wasn't always a favorite of hers... in fact she hated it... but for some reason, ease dropping on Len was irresistible. It was a feeling within her, she just couldn't help.

"Here, I made it just for you, Len. Extra special, filled with banana, very tasty... I used my grandmother's old recipe, so I thought you would like it. It's even got a special ingredient in it." Mayu explained. Mayu's expression seemed to all be flowers and sunshine, but the flowers seemed overly heated, and the sunshine seemed too bright. The flowers seemed dead; the sunshine was overtaking them. Mayu seemed dead inside; and yet, cheerful. And something wasn't right in her head...

Len had taken the bread with that same smile, and told her;

"Thanks for the offering, Mayu. That was very sweet of you to give me it. I'll have to eat it later, as you know how Kaito gets when he's having us perform; it's having no food, at all, no matter how hungry you get." He gave that same mysterious smile to her, and she nodded her head, giving one back, as she made her way onto the stage.

He tucked the food away to the table, as if not noticing her presence, but then his eyes met Ia's with a sharp turn, and she jumped. Something had flickered in his eyes, displaying darkness... before turning back to the usual light it gave. It was like someone had turned off all the lights in his house for just a moment, then quickly turned them back on.

Ia was terrified.

Terrified of the look he gave her, terrified of the beast like eyes that had appeared to gorge into her soul; but then, none the less, everything turned back to it's prime, and Len smiled once again, his cheery-eyed smile.

Ia didn't want to ask about the bread, but her mind was set on asking about it anyway. None the less, she opened her mouth and asked;

"What was that all about, Len?"

Len's eyes did not flicker with that hatred, nor did he ever burrow his eyebrows and smash his feet on the carpet. Merely, he calmly replied;

"The banana bread? Why, Mayu was just expressing herself, of course. She's just being kind. There's nothing to worry about, nor is there anything you should do. Leave it up to me."

As Len was about ready to leave, Kaito's voice rang the entire auditorium, and he aggressively yelled at everyone to get on stage. Actor's scurried here and far to get to their places. But Len and Ia stayed put.

Len told her that he was working backstage now, and that he couldn't partake in the play because of his little disappearance. He never said why he disappeared, or where he disappeared to, and there definitely was no time to ask him. Admitting defeat, Ia walked to where all the other actors was, and made her place besides Miku.

The opera was being reenacted once again. Once again, did Galaco overdo her part as Alice, and everyone else got bullied by her. Once again, was everyone else's part so perfect. The only difference was Miku's anger did not get the best of her, and Len didn't have a part of the opera anymore.

Ia's part came up soon enough, and soon she found herself making her way onstage alongside Miku. Galaco tripped her; and she stumbled onto the ground. Kaito yelled at everyone to stop, and everyone huddled to the lines, terrified.

Red hot like a pepper, Kaito made his way through the tower and onto the ground. Ia could see Galaco smile; but it wasn't a nice smile, it was as nice as prickly needles that had been jabbed into someone's skin. Her smile infuriated her, but she quickly forgave her actions.

She hoped Kaito forgave hers.

"Ia, you're not in trouble with me, but your clumsiness also can be avoided, right? I understand if you'd rather work backstage, but I really can't afford to lose more actors." Kaito told her. "This is why I gave you a small part first, to test your abilities. So far, you've shown little or no commitment to your actions. I'm rather disappointed in you. I'll give you one more chance. If you show me that you can blow the park right of the water, I'll have to keep you, because I know you have so much potential to be good."

Ia nodded her head, listening to every word as he got offstage and began to return back to normal. The sweat on her face was remarkable, but Ia returned to her spot and said her lines the best she could. She sang with a chorus; and then Galaco recited her lines, preparing herself to sing.

Before she could even open her mouth, darkness engulfed the room, and the lights were gone. Miku clearly screamed; so did a lot of other people. Everyone broke into a run in the fair tided darkness; Ia did not, but she could feel someone grab her from behind and pull her into a sharp hug, and that completely terrified her.

Miku whimpering was clearly heard in her ear, and Ia realized that Miku was the one who had grabbed her from behind. She was obviously frightened; scared by the mere assumption that all the lights were gone.

Soon enough, only the spotlights were shown, and reflected upon the girl before it. Ia gasped, surrounded by her beauty once more; the lights were so dim it was hard to see who it was, but Ia knew fairly well who it was.

"Belligerent fool!" The girl yelled. She was still entrapped amongst that warm cloak of hers; her eyes were fierce and angry, and her tone was cold. "Can you not see how plagued your own show is?"

Terrified as could be, filled with terror to the eye; Kaito gulped, unable to say much more.

"Your own actors are paralyzed to the crisp; unable to voice their opinions because you, damned beast, are too busy frolicking amongst the crowd of desires to even understand the burden they live in!"

Kaito's face was whiter then that of a ghost; his eyes radiated fear all over.

"But I'm exaggerating a little... dearest Kaito, I have a proposition for you. Ia deserves more then you give her. I understand if you're giving her one more chance. She deserves plenty more! Working backstage won't delight either of us... neither will firing her. I'm the eyes and ears of this opera, and I've seen enough!"

The phantom girl took a breath, before continuing.

"This opera house belongs to me, you see? Dearest Kaito, I find pleasure in only the most suitable singers, and Ia surely is one of them. Therefor, Ia should play Alice. No exceptions."

Kaito's eyes lit up in shock, and he denied against it.

"You're a fraud! A fraud! There's no way I can ever do such! Galaco is a wonderful singer." Kaito was shaking so bitterly, but was hard to tell in the darkness.

"Insolent fool! Bow down to your only woe! I will light every single room on fire, until the flame engulfs you all! Ia doesn't play games with actors, nor does she ever be crude to anyone she knows. I give you one last chance, or I shall burn you all!"

"F-f-fine!" Kaito yelled. "I'll give you whatever you want, just leave me alone!"

The phantom girl smiled once more, as the auditorium was sentenced to darkness once more, before returning to it's favorable light. But the phantom girl was not there anymore, nor anywhere in site.

Miku slowly let go of Ia, giving a low sigh. She turned to her, an expression of worry on her face. Ia tried to stop the fright from exploding within her, and she managed to contain it for a while as Galaco suddenly yelled;

"What, are you mad? Only I can play Alice! I'm only the most suitable for Alice! Who cares about that no good for nothing cheapskate! I have the most desirable voice! I am the most desirable! I am-"

"That's enough. You're still in the play, Galaco, but you'll be playing the Queen of Wonderland, and Ia will be Alice. Miku will be the queen's minion." Kaito resounded.

"Play the Queen of Wonderland? That's _it_! _I quit!_ I can't take enough of these fools!" Like a prima donna, Galaco threw her script to the ground and walked off stage.

Everyone turned to face Ia, who was still trying to piece together what had happened. She in return gave a blank stare, and a mere blink of an eye. Her mind set was furiously trying to get rid of the fear that had been placed beneath her and all the little Ias were scrambling to process what just happened. One of them found a corrupted file, and now they were feverishly going out of there way to stop it from spreading. Like a computer, Ia's mind worked the same: except, with vital organs. All the little Ias that worked within her mind, would stop at nothing to keep her happy.

Was the computer that had been implanted in her brain malfunctioning? Either way, she didn't know how to worm out of this one.

"Ia, you will be Alice, and Miku will be the queen of musicland, okay?" Kaito asked. Her eyes gave many confusion, and she felt so overwhelmed that she could barely stand it as he handed her the script. It was just too sudden; she didn't want to climb onto stardom _this fast_. "You'll have 3 weeks to memorize the script before the final performance. Don't disappoint me, okay?"

None the less, she gave a little nod of the head, and began to practice. Kaito described the character to her: innocent, naïve, and charming. He told her to try her best to recite each line the best she could, and he'd give as much help as he could. Ia knew the reason he was being nice to her again was the phantom girl. She'd scared Miku all the way to Jupiter and back by the way Miku had clung to her the whole time and not let go.

Ia recited her lines, figuring Miku would be better for this part. The whole stage had been taken over by her performance and her pure vocal chords; Galaco was no match for the innocence from which is portrayed. When Ia did her twirls around the stage and sang the main part, also singing about searching for a rabbit, meeting a friendly caterpillar, having tea with the mad hatter, entangling with a mysterious Cheshire cat; and finally making her way to the Queen of Hearts, in which Miku, who she thought Galaco to be much better role for; cackled crazily and attempted to make all of her music hers. None the less, eventually an exasperated Kaito called it a day.

Miku silently made her way to Ia, her expression unreadable as if her look could not take the pain. Quietly, she asked;

"Is that the phantom girl you were talking about?"

Ia's face scrunched up in a world of fear and her eyes went wide; her smile dropped, her eyes darkened, and her face whitened. None the less, she couldn't leave curious Miku and her questions; she had to explain herself at some point, so she simply nodded her head.

Miku's eyes went wide.

They said no more as they attempted to walk back to the room from which they were at; shadows had befallen between them, and the night was as ugly as the day; the rooms were dark, much darker then usual; the lights were fairly dim and not lit well. Ia jumped at every waking moment, wondering, pleading, begging it wasn't her. Miku had to comfort her, because she knew that the phantom could strike at any moment, and take everyone's life. The phantom girl was just that powerful- so she thought.

And yet, the phantom girl, to her, was so tender... so sweet and caring, so very filled with excitement and love, and all these wonderful things... Ia's heart was oh so very wound up, wrapped around it's little curb, so wrapped in her sweet melodic voice... she may have been terrified of the girl, but there was something very special that only she had fallen in love with... and now, she knew the phantom girl would stop at nothing to make her, hers...

They had returned to the room, and Ia had been the last to walk through the door. She felt so cold all the sudden... she walked to her bed and wrapped the blanket around her, but the iciness just wouldn't go away.

There was a knock on the door.

Miku answered it, and it appeared to be Len again. Len's expression was unreadable as usual, with that fairly sweet smile on his face.

"Come in." She jested.

Len came in through the door. His arms wrapped around Miku as he held her tightly; Miku of course, held him just as tight, locking him in a bear hug, burrowing her head in his chest.

"I'm so glad you two are okay." He told her.

Soon enough, he let go and placed Ia into a hug; but surely, he was careful enough to make sure it only stayed a friendly hug, rather then a romantic one. His hug reminded her of how Yukari always hugged her, a light almost-there-but-not-quite-there hug, a hug that was almost entirely too invisible. Yukari was never one to "glomp" others; she liked her personal space. But even then, with things like getting a pass to an opera show; sometimes she forgets those things.

When Len let go, she let out a sigh. Sometimes, she wished she could just go home.

"My love for you, Miku, caresses the wind, and breaks a settle sound. I've been thinking about you and Ia all this time, and praising the fact you are still alive. When that phantom girl made her proclamation; she only had her eyes set on Ia." Ia gulped at this statement. "But she's dangerous. If she threatens again to "burn us all" she'll quite do it...

"But, Ia has captured the girl's heart. She'll need to be taken seriously, whether the days continue or not. If we band together, and figure out this mystery, then-"

"Shut up! You know something we don't! You know something about her that neither of us know! You're hiding a secret that no one else knows! You, you-" Ia stopped herself, giving a fierce look in her eyes that could rival the devil himself. All the stress she had been buckling down was now at the tip of her fingertips, and at the level of her head. She was exploding, and no one was stopping her. "You're an animal!"

Miku and Len were both stunned by Ia's statement. For once, Len had a surprised look on his face, and then a look of doubt. For the first 2 weeks since she's been here, it's been the first time since she'd had an outrage.

"Ia..." Miku whispered.

"Shut up! You're in on it too! You're an animal too! Leave me alone!" Ia screeched. "I can't take it anymore, being here... I want to go home! I just want to go home..."

"Ia, it's okay..."

"No it's not! I- I-" She took a few breaths trying to control herself. It didn't work. "No one ever listens to the things that I want to say! No one ever listens!"

"Ia, hon, we're listening to every word now." Len told her. "We've been listening ever since we first met you. You just haven't been speaking."

"I know that, darn it! I just... I'm sorry. I try to contain myself, try to be little miss perfect, but I just- I don't know. I'm falling apart, I don't know what to do, I don't know why the phantom girl is so interested in me... or why I'm so attracted to her... or why I'm-"

"Stop. Saying that again." Len commanded.

"Say what again?" Ia asked.

"You just said you are attracted to this phantom girl. Care to say why?" Len asked.

Ia's face lit up in shock, and she was silent. Then angrily she yelled;

"You're not accusing me of being in love with her, are you?"

Len chuckled.

"Certainly not. But, the phantom girl is quite devious. We might never who she really is, until we uncloak her, and tear off the mask." Len told her. "Who better to be the one to tear it off, then the captured one herself?"

Ia's eyes widened.

"You're not saying..."

"Oh yes I am. We're going to lure her through you, _dearest_."


	6. To Betray Love

_Author's Note:_

_This chapter has that song in it I mentioned last chapter, that I actually recorded myself singing. It's actually singable, but it probably won't matter; it jumps up and down the scale, and I've only sung it by ear. xD But, it's my favorite of the collections of myself-singing-songs-I-created thing. Maybe, I can figure out a way to add orchestra music in the background, and edit my voice to make it song better. It's too bad I don't have Rin (The program) xD She's probably hard to use... and I have no experience with reading or writing music or playing with instruments, but I've always wanted to learn how to play the piano... OTL Well, anyway...  
_

_It's still the first year of 2013, so for a new years gift, I figured I'd give out two chapters instead of one. :) This one seems ready as well, but the next one isn't.  
_

_Enjoy~  
_

* * *

Chapter 6: To Betray Love

The room went silent. Everything fell to lower grounds. Ia's jaw had dropped so low, you'd think she'd be a cartoon character of some sort; she was so entirely wordless, speechless, unable to say a thing to save her soul, that only Miku's sudden grasping of her hands brought her to her senses.

"Ia, it's for the best." Miku told her. "I know you feel terrified, yet in love- but for all I know, you could be in love with some forty year old predator that just sounds young!"

"Miku, I can't help it. I love her, and how I love her so... her voice is so magical, so full of life. It takes my breath away, and stuffs it back into my throat until I'm intoxicated in her scent. I just need her so badly, Miku. I want her love." Ia nervously plucked away at her fingernails with her head down in shame. "I admit, she's making me nervous..."

Miku sighed.

"And look what it's doing to you. Your fingernails have seen better days, and your mindset has too." Miku told her. "When did you first meet her, anyway?"

Knowing then and there she couldn't hide anything more from the two, Ia told her tale of how she met the phantom girl, and been captured by her love, affection, and heart. She told best she could, the moment her hand had touched the mirror, and how magical yet scary it was when she was pulled to the other side. The phantom girl had sang to her, a lovely melody of the skies above; she was so captured and wrapped up in her attention, she never did realize the phantom girl could be _anyone. _Maybe she didn't even care about that.

Len, having not even breathed in the time she told the story, finally broke his willing silence.

"Dearest, I find great pleasure in what you are saying. You and Miku both have been keeping secrets the whole time, haven't you? I really don't understand why daring Ia would dare accuse me of such things... but... at the same time, I know her reasons why..." Len told her.

Ia huffed.

"If you have your reasons why, why don't you explain where you were on the night the phantom kidnapped me?" Ia growled.

"Ia!" Miku stammered. "I can't believe you'd be so bold!"

Len chuckled. _Chuckled._

"Certainly, it's the first time I've been accused of such tragedies. I simply had forgotten to tell Kaito I was visiting my family in my hometown for a day. My mother's never been the same since my sister and I have got into a car crash, so I have to comfort her every once in a while. See? Isn't that bad?"

Ia's mind flashed back to Mayu and when she first told of the car crash. Ia confusion swept under her and took her mind. All her emotions stopped her from thinking. Soon, she had the most frazzled look on her face, trying to explain how Len would be lying. The only thing was, he wasn't. He wasn't lying... because Mayu had said the same thing.

"I'm so sorry, Len. I didn't mean-" Ia was surely stopped by Len's finger to her lip.

"It's okay Ia, I understand. You're confused, thinking I'm keeping secrets from you. Dearest, I keep no secrets other then the past. I promise. Miku doesn't even know half of what I go through." Either Len was a really good liar, or he actually was telling the truth...

It's just too confusing to tell.

"So, should we start this tonight?" Miku asked.

"Surely, time will warp itself to bend upon our will. And that's mere impossible." Len told her. "But yes, we should..." He paused, looking at Ia. "Ia, which mirror was it that you came through?"

"The mirror from your room." Ia responded.

Len nodded his head.

"Let's check there."

All three of them made their way out of the room and through the halls. For a moment, all was calm; until Mayu came around the corner and eyed Miku like she was her next victim. Since Galaco had called it quits, Mayu's been giving the group a hard time. Just the emotionless stares she gives to Miku gives shiver down Ia's back. And then, a blank smile. Emotionless. Void. Untrue. Scary. And mischievous... all tumbling down into one hot glare. Her smiles were always a little off, Ia realized, and Mayu had become much more distant to the group...

Mayu was long gone now, Ia realized. So she shook her head, and entered Len's room, her two eyes upon the mirror of her dreams.

The mirror was there. Standing tall. Shattered. Broken. Empty. Whatever had happened, Ia had no clue. The entrance behind it was not there. Who had shattered the mirror, was unknown. But... she had a feeling the phantom was among them now. In this theater. Watching her... playing with her feelings like a fiddle to the drum. Maybe even alive. She gulped.

"Should we look around for an entrance?" Miku asked. All eyes were on Len, soon enough.

"Sadly girls, I don't think we'll find anything suitable." Len told them, running his fingers among the shattered pieces. "Somehow, I have a feeling our plan to find her just went to the sewers."

"It's not the end, though, is it?" Miku asked.

"No, it is not. She must be around here somewhere. But we should at least find out how this mirror got broken." Len told her.

"Save it for a rest, Len. We can do it tomorrow." Miku told him.

"True." Len agreed. "Ia, how do you feel about this?"

"I agree." Ia said. Her lips could barely move, and her heart was beating fast, but other then that, she was okay with it.

Len nodded his head saying;

"May you both be protected against any spiritual forces tonight and have a good sleep."

He gave Miku a kiss before guiding them to the door.

Ia and Miku both nodded their heads and exited the room. Immediately, they went eye to eye with Mayu, who had been stalking them for quite a while, but had very little to say. Ia had to admit her stalking habits were becoming more and more usual, and she felt sorry for Miku for having to put up with her. She was just about ready to confront her, when she lost interest and faded away.

Ia could feel something have it's eyes on her as she made her way back to the room from which she came. Everything seemed a little darker then before... the shadows on the wall seemed darker, so did the creamy colored sand paper wall, and the objects in the room seemed to reach out to her and grab her by her legs. It was all dark, and not because the lights were turned off; that was just how she envisioned it in her mind.

When the lights turn off, she'll be enveloped in pitch black.

And the lights did turn off without a second thought. Miku had told her, she needed some shut eye, and she'd find a way for her to not be scared. When the lights went out, Ia was not scared. She simply closed her eyes and caught herself imagining her in the phantom's arms, and that seemed to keep her satisfied. Her love caused her to dream miracles involving the phantom girl, the phantom girl surrounded her dreams, sang to her, caressed her face.

She could almost feel a hand caress her face, and then softly run their fingers through her soft white-blonde hair. In fact, she _did _feel that happening. She felt the warm embrace she longed for, and when her eyes opened- no one was there. The voice of the angel of music welcomed her soon enough.

"_**You welcomed me into your daydreams,**_

_**So I welcome you.**_

_**Into the life from which it brings;**_

_**I welcome your pain too."**_

Being lulled once again, her body spoke the things her mind would be against; she raised herself from her slumber and made her way towards the singing. Her eyes were half closed and could easily be mistaken for sleepwalking had she been stumbling over anything, but her body told her what went where, and soon, she was out of the room and walking down the hallway.

"_**The pain which is too great to comprehend, **_

_**The love that burdens our souls;**_

_**The weight of reality from**_

_**W****hich ****it comes around;**_

_**From which, it partakes a soul."**_

The voice had lulled her into the auditorium, and her half closed eyes became more open; her heart dedicated to the phantom's love. It was magical; the rich, deep, yet childish voice from which it sang: her voice was so beautiful, yet so young...

She tried to find the phantom, but the phantom was nowhere in site. But she heard the chorus, sure enough:

"_**Even if our forbidden delicacies are world's apart;**_

_**I find myself entangled in your sweet loveable heart.**_

_**When the world is against the love from which it provokes;**_

_**Are you merry rest on defending, or merry rest on ****hope?"**_

The tone was at first low, but then steadily got higher, until this verse came around:

"_**Giving into our ****own ****feelings;**_

_**We create a stand."**_

It was so beautiful, so filled with love, Ia couldn't help but wonder if the song was about her?

"_**Let our hearts only be merry, till we make that ****grand.**_

_**We find a place for our own emotions to recreate.**_

_**But, don't do it so soon, or it might be too late."**_

Behind her, she heard footsteps. Someone grabbed her from behind and held her into a long embrace. Her eyes widened. When the phantom kissed her on the forehead, she lost all her senses and went numb into her arms. The phantom girl giggled; it was rather childish of her, but still made her feel tender. She knew at any waking moment, had the phantom desired it; she could die. But somehow, that didn't scare her. She knew, somehow, that wasn't what the phantom girl was after, or so desired.

But she still couldn't move.

"When you dream, do you ever wake?" Ia could not answer that. "Everything is like a dream; even my fingers resting on your back is like a dream waiting for a moment to collapse."

Ia was so speechless, she couldn't help but feel dizzy- being intoxicated by her sure love. The intoxication was a bad as being gassed without a gas mask; she was about to fall unconscious in her arms. Even then, it was as good as when she had been selected to come up here, if not ten times better.

"You do your best to win, but your best is to lose. When you lose, your sorrows take over you. When you wake: you lose it all. The reality is much too powerful to bare, so you fumble."

"Phantom... what is this urge within me? It's taking and controlling me... I always find a way to you, even when I don't want to..."

The phantom girl told her;

"They are nothing more then the reminiscences of the past, growing within you."

"Then why do I- why do I feel so lonely when I'm without you? I don't understand! My eyes are focused on you, my heart is focused on you... my mind refuses to give away it's secrets, but you've always managed to steal everything else. I don't know why- but I need you, phantom. I need you more then anything..."

"Maybe you pity me, for my poor endeavor." the phantom girl told her. "A girl who wants so much from me...usually takes more from the living. You've always been different..." She reached out to grab her chin with a smirk on her face. "Because you always wanted to deal with the dead."

"I don't want to lose you..." Ia begged. "Kiss me, I can't take it anymore!"

With a smirk on her face, the phantom girl could only comply.

The kiss, was without a doubt: perfect. It was sweet, yet tingly, and Ia lost control of herself; she pulled the phantom girl into her arms, deepening the kiss. The phantom's kiss was so filled with sensations, vivid movement, and love, that Ia's heart had no hope of ever starting up again. Her heart had become a complete standstill; without any length to move. It was so filled with emotions that her heart lost itself in a maze of the phantom's entangled love. She couldn't stop here, and she couldn't stop now... but being intoxicated in that scent more then anything, the phantom girl pulled away.

"Ia." She whispered hauntingly. Even her voice was majestic; she could easily take over this theater and she wouldn't care. "Let's not be hasty."

Ia had only taken one second before remembering what Len had planned. The next time the phantom girl and her met... she'd...

Reaching out to her face, she caressed it, before suddenly relapsing and pulling off the mask from which the phantom possessed.

The phantom girl screamed.


End file.
